


Other Way Round

by Nymerianna



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Charlotte wakes up as Sebastian, F/M, He just wants to help, Magic, Rasmodius is creepy, Really!, Sebastian wakes up as Charlotte, Weird crushes, adults acting like teenagers, awkward situations incoming
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-23
Updated: 2018-07-02
Packaged: 2019-04-26 23:44:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14413053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nymerianna/pseuds/Nymerianna
Summary: When Charlotte woke up one morning, she first noticed that she wasn't in her own bed. She wasn't even in her own room and she had never seen those dark walls around her before. She didn't even feel like herself.Sebastian had always had a thing for the beautiful girl on the farm but never had he thought getting this close to her this rapidly.The Wizard always had a good time playing with the people from Pelican Town but this time, he had excelled himself by swapping the bodies of two rather opposite persons.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, this is my first Stardew Valley Fanfiction and it's kind of a silly one but I had this idea at school when I was bored and I really wanted to upload it because I think I can make this an at least funny story to read! :)

As prominent and suspicious the tall tower in the Cindersnap Forest appeared, nobody in Pelican Town really knew its resident nor didn't really care who the strange person was. It was often forgotten that there even was somebody else living outside their community, even Linus was more integrated into it than he was. Yet, the influence of Rasmodius was everywhere to be seen. Not to the ordinary human eye, of course, but the supernatural aura that lay all over Stardew Valley wasn't coming from anywhere.  
After all, the Wizard, as everybody called him, was responsible for most of the residents' destinies. Well, that wasn't the case if one thought of him being the one who had decided that Pam would lose her job and Shane would end up as an Alcoholic. He referred to the side effects of his magic as 'Karma' and he was positive about everything negative happening was because the person involved in it had done bad things in the past and deserved it. 

He stood next to his black cauldron that was filled with a light green, slimy something that smelled like the dead frog Jodi had found in her dishwasher the other day after Vincent had decided to clean him because he was so muddy. Had he put frogs in it? He couldn't remember when he had stopped following the grimoire's orders. He shrugged and poured another bottle of bird's saliva in it and stirred slowly. The mixture's colour got even more undefinable when he added some fermented milk. His nose was already used to being exposed to horrible smells but some of his violet beard's hair had started curling before falling out and into the cauldron as well. His fingers reached for a bottle filled with a clear liquid. He opened it and poured something into the cauldron before leading it to his lips and sipping on it. Ahh... Russian Water had always revived his spirits. He coughed before he started filling the cauldron's content into small bottles of glass. He spilt much of it and at least a quarter of it ended up on his gown. The Junimos had started dancing around him, grabbing him by his cape in order to stop him from whatever he was about to do but he himself wasn't quite sure about his actions. What was he supposed to do with this potion? Was this supposed to be drunk? Was this supposed to be spilt on somebody? What was it supposed to do anyway? He sighed before closing his eyes and rubbing his temples. Ahh... Now he remembered. He wanted to help his special friend. The farmer had always been a lovely one, indeed. She sometimes brought him the poisonous mushrooms she found down in the mines and he tried to cut off some of her bright red hair once because one of his spellbooks swore on the power of gingers. Or was it his horoscope he had read? He scratched his head and twisted his moustache. He wanted to help her to finally get in touch with this obnoxious black-haired boy who she fell for when she had moved to Pelican Town some months ago. A love potion. He smiled before handing the two Junimos each an ampule of the mixture. Not that she had asked Rasmodius to do anything for her but he simply knew it was the right thing to do, seeing as she had no idea of how to talk to the moody urchin. 

He had watched them in the saloon together, where she tried to talk to him but he only responded with how he had to decide whether or not he should let his friend win the party of billiard. It made the wizard angry, seeing how this brat acted around the nice farmer even though he had seen what he did every time he had seen her that day. He obviously worshipped her beauty, this disgusting excuse of a man, but had he ever said anything to her that wasn't absolutely meaningless? The wizard ran up and down the room, not sure what to do with this damn potion he had mixed for her good. But she was an adult, she had to be capable of processing what it had meant to fall in love with this boy and it was his duty as a good friend to help her. He swung open the door of his tower and he was surprised by the birds chirping around him. The sun had just risen and he asked himself how late it actually was and he contemplated with the thought of simply entering his tower again and emptying this bottle of delicious spirit that waited for him inside. He led his hand to the nose and pressed two fingers against his nostrils. He took in a deep breath and the Junimos helped him blend into the nature around him. It possibly was his most practical power to get invisible while walking around the town.

He followed the path up to the farm that only looked slightly less pathetic than before she had moved here. He stopped when he entered her farm and saw her kneeling next to her plant and stroking its leaves gently. She hummed a song he hadn't heard before and her red curls stood in every direction. She had tried to tame it with a hairband and a large straw hat. She wore a red and white striped shirt under her Overalls. Rasmodius drew closer to her but passed her and if his nose hadn't been this damaged from before, he would have stopped in order to catch her lovely smell. Mortals had always inspired him and so did she. He entered her house, carefully trying not to make her notice the opened front door. He poured the potion over her pillow and made sure to turn it around before leaving and heading for the mountains. Now, he only had to do the same to this boy's bed and the next day they would be closer than they had ever dreamed of being. Rasmodius already wondered what he could do with the other bottles of the potion but he decided to wait and watch the impact of those two ampules. Maybe he should merge magma slime and a rabbit's foot? Would a golden pumpkin go with this?


	2. Waking Up

When she woke up, Charlotte felt horrible. Her head was aching and her body felt heavy and slow. She reached for her forehead in order to brush away her hair. When she couldn't feel her curls in her hand, but very sleek, shorter bangs, she froze in the action. Had she visited a hairdresser the other day without her remembering? She decided that she was nothing but very sleepy and so she rubbed her eyes before sitting up slowly. She would have to plant several crops that day and she wanted to have her coop built by Robin the next day so she had to gather some more lumber. Wasn't there any light coming into her small cabin or why was it this dark anyway? And then, she finally thought of having lost her mind. Where was she? She had never seen this dark room before. It only had small windows in the very top corner of two walls which were painted in a dark grey colour. The wooden floor was dark as well and in one corner was a desk with a large screen on it. There was a bookcase stuffed with comic books and action figures. Where the hell was she? She stood up and noticed immediately how low the ceiling was... Or she had grown overnight. Charlotte shook her head and tried to punch herself awake, she was dreaming, obviously, but no matter how hard she pinched herself, she simply wouldn't find herself in her own bed again. Had she been roofied and kidnapped? She brushed her arm nervously and looked down in confusion. Since when was her arm covered with black hair? Where were her freckles and why were her arms this masculine anyway? Suddenly, she packed her breasts or, at least, the place where her breasts were supposed to be. Sure, they had never been this large but they weren't invisible either. 

"Come on Charlotte, wake up... Wake up...", she muttered to herself but there was no way she could. What was this? Had she discovered drugs last evening and this was a trip and she didn't remember the origin of it? Hell, she was 24! She had managed to stay away from drugs for all her teenage years and those were supposed for trying out stuff like this, weren't they? There wasn't a single mirror in the room so she went over to the desk in order to see her reflection in the screen but it was matt and she could only see her outlines. When she sighed out in frustration, she let her fingers run through the shoulder-long hair on her head. She had always hated her freaky curls but right then, she didn't want to feel anything else in her hands. She rose an eyebrow before moving the computer mouse lightly. The screen flickered and was released from standby. There was it. The big 'Hello Sebastian' before her eyes and her jaw fell. Sebastian? The Sebastian? The nerd who never had wanted to talk to her? How did she come here and why did she feel like she looked like him? What kind of sorcery was this?!  
"Sebby, I know you probably worked hard yesterday and didn't have much sleep but I need you to help me with... Oh, you are awake. I didn't expect this." Charlotte looked up in horror, meeting the suspicious look on Robin's face. Robin. Robin, mother of Sebastian. She had a cup with a steaming dark beverage in it. Charlotte passed her hastily and almost stumbled when stairs appeared in front of her. She shook her head repeadetly and went upstairs where she almost ran into Demetrius who was holding a large pot in his hands. There was the tomato plant in it, which Charlotte had gifted him the other day. She didn't mind asking him how it was doing since she simply wanted to go back to her farm and so she opened the front door and left.

She passed Linus' tent and followed the path to her farm. She felt something in her back aching and she frowned. What was going on with this body? After some time of running, at first she hadn't noticed she had started running to her farm, she felt like there was no oxygen left in her lungs. She breathed heavily and asked herself immediately if she had aged ten years overnight. If this was really Sebastian's body she was stuck in – What she really didn't hope – he would have to get in shape or otherwise he would suffer from pain for the rest of his life, once his youth left him. When she reached her farm, she threw open the door and looked at what she saw in disbelief. There she was – Or at least her body – lying in her bed, one arm over her eyes, some hair in her mouth and another hand resting on one of her breasts. What time was it, anyway? Charlotte was supposed to tend her crops by then and there her double lay lazily and slept in. The real Charlotte drew closer to her bed and pulled on the blanket. 

"Get up, whoever you are!", she hissed and her eyes widened when she heard her voice. It wasn't hers and when she thought about it, she sounded exactly like the town's emo.  
"Not now Maru...", the other one mumbled and turned around. Maru? How could Charlotte ever explain why it seemed like she and Sebastian had swapped bodies? And why did it feel like it had been a bad deal for Charlotte? 

"I'm not Maru, and you should really hear that. Don't you even know your own freaking voice?", Charlotte asked and pulled harder on the blanket. Suddenly, her borrowed body developed a strength she hadn't expected and she won over the object of desire. She watched her real body dropping to the floor and flinched when she saw it. Her hand wandered immediately to the place where her arm had hit the floor but she couldn't feel anything. Of course, she was touching Sebastian's body after all.  
Sebastian got up slowly, not knowing what was going on and why anybody would be this rude towards him and throw him out of bed just like that? When he saw his face hovering over him, he backend and fell backwards onto the bed again.  
"What the fuck?!", he cried out and when he heard his voice being all girly and high, he covered his mouth with a hand. A perfectly soft and small hand, he recognized. "What the fuck...", he muttered while looking down and noticing the breasts below him...  
"Hey! Eyes are up here!", his fake-self stated angrily and shook him lightly. Sebastian must have been dreaming. What the hell was going on, why was he in the farmer's house and why the hell had he developed breasts? Hell, he should stop smoking whatever Sam always brought back from Zuzu.  
"Who are you?", he asked confusedly and he saw his face cocking an eyebrow. 

"I'm Charlotte, actually. And you are Sebastian and you have the honour to be stuck in my body. And I have no idea what the actual fuck you did to us, but I want you to re-do it!", she exclaimed and he shook his head slowly. He wanted to brush his bangs out of his hair but then he felt the curls in his hand and stopped. He turned around and lay down again, his face being pressed into the pillow. "What the hell do you think you are doing?", the other one hissed but Sebastian only shrugged. "I'm obviously dreaming so I'm going to go back to sleep and when I wake up, I'm in my room again and everything will be okay.", he mumbled and he felt a hand grabbing his shoulder and pinning him to the wall behind him.  
"I'm not kidding, Sebastian. Something made us swap our bodies overnight and now we have to find out how to get out of this! Fast!", Charlotte told him and Sebastian blinked at her in confusion. She nodded and Sebastian slowly but surely understood that this wasn't a trip nor a dream – If anything it was a nightmare – and he had no idea how to react. His hands played with a curl and his gaze slowly made its way back down to his chest. Or rather Charlotte's chest. He blushed before looking up again and staring at his opponent's angry eyes.  
"Don't you dare to enjoy this in any way!", she threaded but Sebastian simply smirked.  
"I think we should make the best out of it.", he said and shrugged. Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Why are you wearing only boxers anyway?", he asked and Charlotte looked down at herself.  
"Do you really think I had any time to change? When I realized what was going on, your mum came in and looked at me like a ghost.", she explained and folded her arms in front of her chest, trying to hide whatever she wanted to cover from his eyes.

"Of course she did. You were awake.", he stated dryly and Charlotte still couldn't believe how he was this relaxed. Well, in her opinion, he had any reason to be, he had the good part of their deal. He had this healthy, sporty body now and the only thing he had to do was to keep it that way. Charlotte let herself sinking down next to him because realisation suddenly hit her like a train. She had no idea how long this state would last and what she could do to repair everything. She wasn't sleeping. She was fully awake and sober and completely powerless. She felt a tear running down her cheek and she couldn't hold it back. She felt her shoulders shaking and her black bangs fell into her face. What if this had to be her life now?  
Sebastian felt helpless as well when his body next to him started sobbing and crying. He awkwardly patted his shoulder. He himself hoped that this wasn't a permanent state they were in. He was about to be invited to a job interview in Zuzu and he had planned to leave Pelikan Town at the end of autumn. But there were so many more things crossing his mind. Why him? Why her? Why the hell has it had to be her? Why not Abigail, he wouldn't have been completely okay with being stuck in his buddies body, of course, but it would have been far better. He knew Abigail better, the two of them had spent their childhood together, hell, they had even slept with each other at some point. When his thoughts took him down memory road and stopped there, he felt his face redden. He would have to get a shower at some point. At some point, he would need to undress and the thought of it almost made him throw up. Not because he thought she was unattractive or anything. It was rather the opposite that made him feel nasty. He thought she was the most gorgeous girl he had ever met and he was now confronted with this harder than ever. He wasn't a pervert! The sobbing next to him remembered Sebastian that there were more important things to manage right then.  
"Hey, calm down. You are me now. Men don't cry.", he tried to cheer her up. She looked up and when he saw this look of disbelief in her eyes – His eyes – he almost cracked up. Hell, he had the best mirror ever in front of him and he had never seen this look on his face before. 

"You are an emo! You are moping around town all day long – Let's say all night long – and when you talk to me, you only tell me about how sad everything here is. And you tell me that you usually don't cry?", she asked and Sebastian shrugged.  
"I don't, actually. And I'm not an emo. I only like the colour black.", he stated and she managed to calm down a bit.  
"There are many things we have to talk about but first we need to tend my crops. Now that you are me, you have to learn how to do so.", Charlotte demanded and got up hastily, brushing those annoying bangs out of her face. "Seriously, how can you run around like this with half of your hair in your face like all the time?", she asked.  
"I don't know. I guess, the fact that you still make me run around shirtless doesn't do any better.", Sebastian replied. "Do you have an idea what my mum has to think of me right now?", he asked and Charlotte shrugged.

"I don't really care what your mum thinks. And she's cool. She's probably the coolest person around, so don't cry and brush my teeth. We don't want to make them bad, do we?", she asked and cocked an eyebrow. Sebastian sighed heavily and got up. She led them into her small bathroom where she showed him everything he had to know. Not that he had really listened to her but he figured toothpaste and water would do it just as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this was the first real chapter of the story and I hoped you like it so far!
> 
> I think I caught this awkward situation quite well, at least that's what I imagine characters like them to react to a situation like this (we obviously don't know much about Charlotte yet, but I'm sure that's going to change sooner or later)
> 
> Thank you for the kudos! I would love to hear what you think about the story so far!  
> Anna <3


	3. The Tower in the Forest

Charlotte ran up and down the room and tried not to freak out while Sebastian sat at her table and watched her. She ran her fingers through her black hair and mumbled things he couldn't understand.  
"How is this even possible?", she asked and didn't expect an answer. She got angrier every second Sebastian simply sat there and did nothing. She stopped and went over to where he had placed himself and looked at him upset. "Sebastian, help me! This is our problem! We need to solve this!", she exclaimed and the look on her face turned more and more into a desperate one. Sebastian, who managed to show his indifferent attitude through her body. His back was bent and he spread his legs while letting his chin rest on his arm that was supported by the table.   
"What about we go to Rasmodius and ask him what he did?", he suggested and Charlotte stopped in motion.   
"You think it was him?", she asked and he cocked an eyebrow. He stood up slowly and scratched his stomach.  
"Of course, it was him. Who else?", he responded and Charlotte led her fingers to her temples and massaged them. She had closed her eyes and Sebastian watched her. It felt so strange to see himself in front of him. He first thought it was kind of having a mirror with you all the time but Charlotte had somehow managed to shine through. At least to him, who knew about everything. He was entirely sure that the other people would notice. They had to, otherwise, he really worried about the way he must've been seen by his friends.  
"Rasmodius is nothing but a lonely, drunk guy who plays wizard because he doesn't want to admit that he's old.", she stated and Sebastian smirked. How nice she was. Everybody in Pelican Town was convinced that Charlotte was the most lovely person in town and now this. He somehow enjoyed getting to know her.  
"Actually, he is a wizard.", Sebastian stated and when she looked at him questioningly, he shrugged. "I would go and see him, at least. If he hasn't anything to do with it, we can always look for another solution.", he said and Charlotte sighed. "But at first,", Sebastian started "You need to put some clothes on me. I don't really care what the others think but running around half-naked usually is something only Alex would do." Charlotte looked down and a foxy smile formed on her face.   
"Well, Alex actually is able to show off something.", she said and Sebastian sighed. Why couldn't she simply keep quiet? He was too tired anyway. He had been working all night long the other day and he hadn't even had the chance to drink a can of coffee... When was he supposed to catch up with this?

Charlotte pushed Sebastian into her overalls so he could simply wear those over her pyjamas. It had looked quite awkward but she didn't want to be there when he undressed in her body for the first time. She didn't know why, but she felt really uncomfortable with the thought of being present while it would happen. But this wouldn't happen anyway! After they would have changed her into some of Sebastian's clothes – jeans and a black hoodie, she supposed – they would go to the wizard and he would do his magic and everything would be normal again. It would be best if they just woke up again and didn't remember anything but Charlotte was sure they wouldn't be this lucky.  
"What do you want me to do?", she asked when they arrived at the front door of the carpentry. Sebastian looked at her from the side and shrugged."You go in, dress and go out.", he explained and pointed at the door. Charlotte wanted to say something but the front door swung open and Maru stepped out, wearing her nurse outfit. When she saw the two of them, she stopped, puzzled and rose an eyebrow.

"What the hell?", she muttered and let her gaze run over her brother's body. "Could you please do us a favour and get dressed?", she said and shook her head. When she looked at Sebastian, a smile stole itself on her face. "Good morning, Charlotte!", she greeted her. "Don't let this weirdo kill your good mood, you already look like another person, as moody as you are.", she added and Charlotte shot an annoyed look at Sebastian who did his best not to burst into laughter at his sister's statement.  
"Good morning, Maru.", Charlotte said and Maru looked at her suspiciously before shaking her head again and leaving.   
"Go and get dressed, Sebastian.", she demanded before finally disappearing on her way to the clinic. Charlotte turned around and gestured Sebastian to come with her but he shook his head.  
"No way. I don't want my mum to think something stupid.", he explained and opened the door so she would finally go inside. Robin stood at the counter of the shop and sipped on a glass of water.  
"He's back.", she commented on Charlotte's arrival and she did her best not to say anything she usually would say. What would Sebastian do? She shrugged and threw her hair out of her face and made her way down the stair to his room. She had no idea whether or not she had convinced Robin but she didn't really care right then. There she was... again... This dark room without much natural light and oxygen. She went over to what she supposed was his dresser and opened it. She hadn't expected there to be much colour but the mixture of blacks, greys and dark blues disappointed her. He had like ten of those black hoodies, so she simply took one of those and turned to where he stored his trousers. She took the one on the very top and tried to put it on like she thought a man would slip into his Jeans – relaxed and without having to jump around – but she failed. Damn, she had already acknowledged how tight his trousers were but she hadn't expected them to fit like the ones she had always worn back in the city. So she jumped around the room and almost stumbled over a big book that lay on the floor.   
"The Solarion Chronicles?", Charlotte read out and picked it up. Pen and Paper Roleplay. She smiled. How cliché that a nerd like Sebastian would do things like this. If he played it with Sam and Abigail? She had sometimes watched them in the saloon and envied how close they were. They were probably the best friends in this town and she had hoped from the very first day that she would find somebody to be as close with as they were. She looked up to one of the windows. They were openable. She just needed to reach it somehow. Charlotte went over to the desk and put it under the window, stepped onto it and opened it. She had imagined Sebastian doing so every night before he went to bed but it cracked so loud that she hardly thought anybody had opened it in years. She shook her head and decided to leave this room. At least Sebastian would have fresh air in here when he came back that evening.

"You really don't have many things to choose from.", Charlotte stated when she came back where Sebastian waited for her. He shrugged and didn't say anything. They made their way to the wizard's tower without talking much. As much as Charlotte usually had to say, she simply wanted to end this hell and Sebastian... Well, Sebastian wasn't that interested in conversation anyway. When they reached it, Charlotte hesitated to knock, so Sebastian did it before her. She looked at him but suppressed the urge to say something when the door finally opened. It was just a small gap Rasmodius looked through, but when he saw the farmer in front of him, he relaxed.  
"Charlotte, what a pleasure.", he whispered while opening the door further. "And... the boy. Why did you bring him here, sunshine?", he asked Sebastian and took his hand, leading him into the tower. When Charlotte wanted to follow him, the wizard turned around. "Not you. You stay here, I have to talk to my customer.", he informed her and Sebastian looked at Charlotte in confusion.  
"Customer?", he asked her and Charlotte shrugged. She had no idea what the strange man was talking about. Had he sniffed too long on his hair dye?  
"Of course, you're not only a customer to me, my dear friend.", Rasmodius reassured Sebastian who looked even more confused.   
"I'm Charlotte!", she explained and the wizard rose an eyebrow.  
"No, you're not.", he said and pointed at Sebastian. "This is Charlotte. Silly boy.", he hissed and rolled his eyes. When he wanted to shut the door before her nose, Sebastian tried to stop him.  
"Please, let her in. She's Charlotte. I'm Sebastian.", he explained and the wizard sighed.  
"That's what they meant with kids not being sure what sex they are.", he said and let Charlotte pass him into the tower. "So why are you here. Was the love potion not to your satisfaction?", Rasmodius asked and Charlotte's mouth fell open.  
"Love potion?!", Charlotte and Sebastian cried out and Sebastian stepped two steps away from the girl next to him... Or the boy next to him? Himself? Hell, this was confusing.  
"Why would you give me a love potion?", he asked her and before Charlotte could answer, Rasmodius continued talking.  
"Charlotte, you are obviously in love with him but he was too stupid to notice and so I wanted to help you. See it as a service of friendship.", the wizard explained and Sebastian blushed furiously. Charlotte? In love with him? The beautiful Charlotte? He looked up at her and he saw the look in her eyes and his shoulders fell slightly. Was this disgust in her eyes? Was she really disgusted by this thought? Wow, that even hurt him.  
"Rasmodius, why would you think something like this? I... was just about to ask Alex if he wanted to go on a date with me, why would you think that I was.... in love with Sebastian?", she asked but it didn't sound as defensive as Sebastian had expected it to sound. She asked it as if she was curious how the wizard came to that conclusion.  
"My senses told me. Don't ask me any further... Where are my... Wait... You just answered her. How did you do this, stupid boy?", Rasmodius asked Charlotte.  
"Don't call me stupid.", Sebastian demanded but the wizard ignored him. He went forward to Charlotte and darted her a dark look. She rolled her eyes.  
"Because your so-called love potion caused this freaky situation where I woke up in his body and him in mine. What the actual fuck have you done to us?!", she asked and sounded right out desperate.   
"So this really is true?", the wizard asked and when the younger two nodded, he threw his hands over his head. "It really is true! I found out how to swap minds! I did it!", he exclaimed and started jumping around with joy, dancing while skipping to his spellbook and took a squill out of his pocket. "What did I put in it... Oh no... What was it... Probably some frog...", he whispered while flipping through the pages of his book. While they waited for a response, Sebastian turned around slowly and took in as many impressions as he could. This would be gold for the next round of pen and paper Sam, Abi and he would play. The wizard had always been his favourite role to play, anyway.  
"Rasmodius, we want to switch back.", Charlotte informed him and the wizard looked up confusedly.  
"You want to undo it?", he asked and Charlotte nodded slowly. Wasn't this obvious? The wizard looked down into his book before he shrugged. "I'm afraid I can't help you there. You know, I just discovered this spell, I have no idea what one could do to reverse it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was the second chapter and I think the two of them slowly but surely understand in what situation they are stuck in and what it means. I want to thank you so very much for your comments and all the kudos, I'm so excited and happy that you liked it!


	4. Discussions

Charlotte sighed and grabbed one of the filled watering cans that had been standing in the sun for several days. She pointed at another one and Sebastian drew closer to their position. When he picked one up, a bit of water flow over his hand and soaked a small bit of his sleeve. He shook the hand and a look of disgust had found its way on his face.  
"This is as warm as piss.", he stated and Charlotte rolled her eyes.  
"Well, lucky you, it really is just water. Rainwater, actually. It needs to be this warm because I don't want my poor plants to be shocked when they are watered with fresh, cold water. I have read about this somewhere.", Charlotte explained but Sebastian had already left with his thoughts. How was he supposed to catch up with his work if he was stuck with Charlotte? He had several projects due until the next week. He was brought back by Charlotte's fingers snipping in front of his face.  
"You need to listen to what I tell you! And I'm going to teach you how to water the crops properly. This is the very least I can do. I won't let you tend my crops all by yourself, of course, I'm sure you have things to do at home yourself, but it's very important that you know when you have to water them if I'm not able to do so.", she said and he looked up in surprise. He cocked an eyebrow.  
"Why shouldn't you be able to do things like that?", he asked and Charlotte sighed heavily.  
"Maybe because there are duties that Sebastian has to fulfil? I don't know if you remember but your father's birthday is in what, a week?" Sebastian sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes.  
"Demetrius' birthday... Completely forgot about that one. But who says that we will stay like this for such a long time? This would be horrible.", he remarked and Charlotte shook her head.  
"Indeed, it would be horrible. But we need to be prepared. And that's why you are going to look at how I'm tending those tomato-plants.", she demanded and continued her work. Then she kneeled next to the plant and started stroking its leaves lightly.  
"Well, I can water them but I won't start to pet them.", Sebastian announced dryly and Charlotte shot a glance at him.  
"I'm not petting them. I have to look if there are any lice on them.", she explained and stood up. She then shrugged and turned around, going in the direction of her house. When she stepped onto her patio, she told him to follow her. Indoors, she put a pot of water on her stove and heated it. 

"Do you want some tea as well?", Charlotte asked and Sebastian nodded.  
"I would prefer coffee but tea is fine, too.", he replied and placed himself onto the shaky wooden chair at her small table.  
"Oh, no sorry. I usually don't drink this much coffee. Only occasionally, actually.", she explained and Sebastian shrugged. There were so many things that had to be discussed but Sebastian didn't know how to start talking about those things because he felt uncomfortable even thinking about this. It was Charlotte who started.  
"Is there anything I need to know? About your body, I mean.", she asked and Sebastian shrugged. "I mean, are there any sicknesses of yours I have to know about? Do you need to take any medications?"  
"No, nothing like this. Well, I'm kind of allergic to fructose but I'm not that fond of fruits, anyway.", he replied. "I don't know how often you eat things like that but if you're not fond of flatulence, you probably shouldn't eat it.", he added and Charlotte frowned.  
"I actually don't have any sicknesses and I'm not allergic to anything but... There's something you need to promise me.", she said and Sebastian perked up. He looked at her questioningly. "This shouldn't be too hard for you, at least I hope so, but... you are not allowed to smoke. You need to promise me that you won't. I hope for you that your addiction isn't of psychological manner."  
Sebastian hadn't even wasted one thought on this fact. Smoking wasn't this important to him, sure. But knowing that he wasn't allowed to do it because he was stuck in another person's body made him nervous. And when he was nervous, he usually smoked some cigarettes. He let his fingers run through the freaky red curls on his head. They were softer than he had thought when he had seen Charlotte elsewhen.  
"Can't promise you this but I'm gonna try.", he told her truthfully but Charlotte didn't seem to be convinced.  
"I think our body deserves to be treated well. It's the only one we have, you know? And we won't grow another pair of lungs if we destroy the first one.", she said and Sebastian sighed heavily.  
"You don't want to say things like: 'Your body is a temple' like Emily usually does, do you?", he commented but she didn't even listen to him and continued talking. He had switched off his ears and he let his eyes search in her room. He didn't know what he was looking for until he couldn't find it. "You don't have any space where I could set up my PC, have you?", he interrupted her rambling about sports and yoga and healthy food. She looked around as well and frowned.  
"I don't even have an internet connection here.", she replied and Sebastian tried to figure out how he could do his work in her body. Luckily, he wasn't in face-to-face-contact with his customers but his Mum already freaked out when Abigail came visiting him without Sebastian telling her before. How would he react if she saw Charlotte in his room – All by herself and on his computer?  
"I mean, the fact that I know that you are smoking shows how much you smoke. I mean, we haven't really talked to each other and I have seen you smoking at least five times a week.", she continued and Sebastian rolled his eyes.  
"You are not my mother. And now: How do we handle the fact that I have many projects to complete until next week without somebody noticing?", he asked and Charlotte stopped in motion while pouring tea into two cups.  
"Well, I have worked quite a long time as a programmer. But I guess you wouldn't want me to practice again with your clients.", she told Sebastian and he looked at her in genuine surprise.  
"You have?", he asked and she nodded in response.  
"I worked for Joja before moving here. Actually, this was the reason I moved. But we won't talk about this right now, we have to figure out how to fulfil our tasks. But for the first days, I would say that you simply sneak into your room at night and work then. You could sleep here while I work outside and I could visit your parents from time to time so they won't freak out.", she suggested and Sebastian looked at her, his head tilted slightly.  
"This could work.", he replied and she was surprised herself that there wasn't anything else coming from him. She sipped on her cup and handed him his. "Anything else I need to know?", he asked and shifted on his chair uncomfortably. Charlotte blushed a little bit. Even though she knew exactly that there were topics they had to talk about, she wouldn't be the one to start.  
"I have kind of crazy hair but I guess you already figured this. But if you simply use the things I have in my shower, you should be fine.", she answered and he blew up his cheeks because he knew exactly that this wasn't everything. He figured he would need to find out several things himself. "Oh, maybe it would be the best to simply stay away from our friends if it isn't necessary.", she added and Sebastian sighed again. He had no idea how often he had done this that day.  
"That's not this easy. Remember how you reminded me of Demetrius' birthday? Sam's is two days before. And I don't know how well you know him but he would never forgive me if I forgot his birthday.", Sebastian replied and Charlotte shrugged while sipping on her cup again.  
"Sam won't be a problem. He's a nice guy, I would be happy if I had the chance to go on his birthday.", she said and Sebastian rolled his eyes.  
"I bet he would have invited you, anyway. He's this party-person and he likes you." Sebastian was reminded of how his best friend had gushed about her when he had visited him the last time. Sure, Charlotte was beautiful and Sebastian had the feeling that everybody liked her just because she was new and this was exactly the reason why he himself had been interested in her in the first place. Because she was new and came from the city. But the more time he spent with her stressed-out self, the more he wished to be far away from her. He couldn't be any closer to her now, could he?  
"Then I'm going to sit around and look all gloomy and lonely and you are going to be the nicest you can be.", she teased and Sebastian shot her a glance.  
"To be honest, you are nowhere near nice right now.", he said and Charlotte shrugged.  
"Because I'm in a situation where I can't really think of what I say before I do so. I'm emotionally unstable right now. And I bet, you can relate to that." She took another sip of her cup. When Sebastian had finished his, he stood up and put it in the sink. When Charlotte watched him, she had an idea.  
"We should probably try to at least look like the other one. I mean, you can't walk like this and I'm doing several things wrong, I suppose.", she suggested and Sebastian shrugged.  
"Why can't I walk like this?", he asked and Charlotte shook her head and stood up as well. She pointed at her hips.  
"Because girls have a natural swing while walking. Not too much, but it's there.", she replied and started walking back and forth the room, while Sebastian watched her.  
"Please don't do this. I look as gay as one can be.", he stated and Charlotte laughed."No worries, I'll try to do my best not to make you look 'gay' in any manner.", she reassured him. "And now do what I told you!", she demanded and Sebastian felt like he wanted to be anywhere but there with her when he actually tried shaking his butt while going. It wasn't getting any better when Charlotte commented on his skills as a natural gift. Memories he had always tried to shove away had come back but he reminded himself that things that have happened were the past. He felt a shiver running over his back but Charlotte was oblivious to this. She had taken place at her table and Sebastian decided to participate in this game.  
"You can't sit like this.", he said and pointed at her crossed legs. "How can this even be possible? You must squeeze... things... like this." For the first time this day, he had noticed the emptiness between his legs. There wasn't anything he had to shift around uncomfortably but at the same time, he felt... emasculated. "This comes with being stuck in a female body, genius.", he hissed to himself and felt the urge to hit himself for his stupidity.  
"Actually, I feel like if I sat any different, there would be too much moving involved.", she pointed out.  
"Get used to it.", Sebastian advised.  
"I really hope I don't have to.", Charlotte replied and downed her last bit of tea. "Is there anything else I need to know how to handle your body?", she asked and Sebastian almost choked on his own saliva. This had sounded so wrong. Soo wrong.  
"No, no... Everything should be fine. Not much of a challenge.", he said quickly and brushed through his hair. He started thinking about how to resolve this awkward situation but he was interrupted by a threatening sound. He looked at Charlotte, who looked at her front door with wide eyes. Somebody was knocking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY!
> 
> I finally found time to write again. I had my final exam in maths yesterday and I haven't processed this information yet. I was always told how hard this would be and how important it would be that my grade would be good and now everything is over and I can't tell whether or not I'm feeling relieved :D  
> Anyway, how did you like this chapter?
> 
> I want to thank you guys so so much for commenting on this story and for all your kudos! This makes me so proud and happy!


	5. Robin, Shane and Pizza

"Go, open the door!", Charlotte hissed to Sebastian who was still sitting in his chair, staring at the door wide-eyed. He got up slowly but went over to Charlotte's front door faster when the knocking was repeated. Charlotte wasn't fast enough when she tried to hide and she was sure that, no matter who was waiting outside, the situation would get even worse if she hid under her blanket in the bed or anything. She waited next to the door and hoped whoever was in front of it, wouldn't come inside.  
"Oh Charlotte, I'm sorry I'm late but I had quite a lot of things to do in the shop. I have all the blueprints here!", Robin exclaimed and squeezed herself through the door and passed Sebastian who was looking at his mother as if she was a ghost.  
"Yes...Sure, Mu...Robin, simply put them on the table.", Sebastian replied and looked at Charlotte who was still standing next to the door. He bit his lower lip. "Sebastian's already here, he thought he could help you by bringing some..." Sebastian let his eyes scan Charlotte's room and discovered a small toolbox "...tools! You know, I don't really own a toolbox, so he borrowed me one.", he said and pointed at Charlotte who shot a daring gaze at him. He scratched the back of his head and looked at his mother who had raised an eyebrow. Robin scanned Charlotte and tilted her head."Yes, yes. I brought a toolbox over, you weren't in the shop yesterday when she had needed a hammer to... nail a painting on the wall.", Charlotte added and Robin didn't quite know who to look at. Her son who was standing awkwardly next to the door as if he simply wanted to run away or her client Charlotte, who obviously hadn't put a single painting on a wall in this hut. Some hope started rising in her stomach when she noticed her son's face reddening when he had noticed as well that what he just had said was a lie that couldn't have been more obvious. She watched him clearing his throat and looking at Charlotte next to her for a second before he sighed.  
"If you need any help placing the painting, ask me. I have to go now, bye.", he said hurriedly and left the house. Robin shook her head and smiled while pointing at the chair next to her.  
"We have quite a lot of things to discuss if I have to start constructing tomorrow. Since it will be your very first coop, I would recommend this standard type. It's uncomplicated and relatively cheap in resources as well as in work time. You can only hold four chicken in there but I can upgrade it at any time if you want more. Yesterday, you told me you wouldn't have enough lumber but if everything has to happen as fast as possible, I would put in some out of my stock.", Robin told Sebastian, who had taken place next to her. He rubbed his hands nervously.  
"I think I need some time to think about it.", he stated and his mother looked at him surprised.  
"Oh, you do? Hm, of course, you can come to me whenever you want. It isn't as if I had too much to do in this village, anyway.", she replied and stroked a hair behind her ear that had loosened out of her ponytail.  
"It was very nice of Sebastian to bring the... toolbox to you.", Robin said and Sebastian looked up and blinked at his mother. He cleared his throat."Yes, I guess.", he answered shortly and hoped his mother would simply leave and let him alone so he could lock himself up in Charlotte's house so he wouldn't run into any other persons that day. This whole pretending was even more exhausting than he had expected in the first place.  
"You know, he might sometimes seem like a loner but he's simply a little shy. It's good to see the two of you.", she added and Sebastian started coughing. Was his mother trying to make Sebastian interesting for Charlotte? Did she do this with other girls as well? He felt anxiety rising in his gut and noticed that there was nowhere he could hide, not even behind the long bangs that usually hung into his face.  
"I don't want to interrupt your work day any longer and I need to go back to the shop.", Robin said while standing up and Sebastian nodded absently and got up as well. He opened the door for his mother.  
"Goodbye, Robin.", Sebastian said and his mother waved before exiting. He watched her leaving the farm before he closed the door again and let himself sink to the floor, not sure how he could get through this whole situation.

Charlotte had decided it would be best to continue working rather than waiting outside her house. Not only because things would get even more awkward if Robin caught 'her son' sneaking around Charlotte's property, but because she wouldn't let this whole situation ruin her plans of becoming a successful farmer.  
She went down to Cindersnap Forest in order to gather some lumber because she had left her axe with Sebastian. She didn't think his body could handle chopping down trees, anyway, so she was fine with carrying this big basket, which she filled slowly. Apparently, there wasn't much wood lying around because the last storm had been quite a few weeks ago and she had already gathered most of what had been ripped off the trees.  
"Do you need help or something?", a voice behind her asked and she turned around slowly. Shane was sitting on the stage, his feet dangling above the water of the lake. His feet were bare and his Jeans rolled up. A can of beer was in his hand and he looked at Charlotte like he had never seen her here before. In fact, Charlotte couldn't know whether or not Shane had seen Sebastian gathering lumber here.  
"I'm fine.", Charlotte replied and she tilted her head while watching Shane continuing to drink his beer before he got up, stepped on the can and kicked it into the lake. "Haven't I told you not to do this? It's a nasty habit, throwing garbage into the water.", Charlotte said an blushed immediately because she couldn't suppress the urge to rebuke him for his actions. Shane rose an eyebrow and shrugged.  
"You haven't and why would you care anyway.", he replied and passed her. He went over to Marnie's house and didn't look back to her before closing the door behind him. Charlotte sighed heavily. Of course, Sebastian hadn't told him not to drink that much and not to throw his cans into the lake. And he probably didn't have the right to do so, anyway. Charlotte couldn't help but feel hurt when Shane had ignored her. Charlotte couldn't say that Shane and her were that close or anything, but they had this connection that she had felt when she had seen him for the first time. And from then on she didn't mind reminding him of what he was doing to his body was pure poison. Not because she felt any better than him, but because she could relate to what he was going through. She closed her eyes and breathed in and out when pictures were flashing in her head. She shook it in order to sort her thoughts before leaving the forest and going back to her farm. The past would be the past. She had a new future in front of her and she simply needed to follow this path in order to get happy.  
She passed her crops and checked if they had been watered enough for the summer heat. When her fingers touched the moist soil, she got up again and entered her house. The past would stay the past. There was no way she would ever go back to where she was coming from.  
"Sebastian, I'm back. Well, I hope you are still here.", she said while opening the front door. Sebastian sat on her sofa and looked up at her. "What are we going to do now?", she asked and Sebastian shrugged. She sighed and let herself fall next to him.  
"Maybe you should go back to my mother. Should be dinner time soon. She really likes when I eat with them, you know?", he informed me but Charlotte frowned.  
"I don't think I should participate in any kind of family meeting right now. I'm really tired.", she stated and Sebastian looked at her from the side. Had he always had this dark circles under his eyes? Probably.  
"You don't have to eat with them. But you probably should go there, anyway. Mum's getting worried easily and she already thinks I acted awkwardly today. She'll probably ask you...stuff.", he replied. Charlotte smiled lightly.  
"Stuff?", she asked and got up in order to fix herself something to eat.  
"Stuff. Stuff like: 'Why did you bring Charlotte a toolbox if you could have simply waited for me to do so if you were only about to do it the next day, anyway?'.", he smirked. "Man, we really are bad liars.", he stated and shook his head. Charlotte smiled and opened her fridge."No fruit, right?", she asked and had a concerned look on her face. Sebastian nodded. Charlotte closed her fridge again. "Guess, I'm going to eat at Gus'.", she said and Sebastian rose an eyebrow.  
"You only have fruit in there?", he asked and Charlotte sighed.  
"To be honest, there's nothing in there. I usually eat what I harvest but I had nothing I could've harvested in the last days and I kind of forgot to buy something at Pierre's and he was closed yesterday and today's probably too late. Could it be that none of us has eaten anything today?", she asked and Sebastian looked blank for a second.  
"This really could be. How about we get something fast before I end up executing cannibalism?", he asked and Charlotte opened the door.  
"Would you really eat up yourself?", she asked. "I mean, what happens if you end up being stuck in my body because you ate up yours?", Charlotte added and Sebastian shrugged.  
"Better stuck in your body than being reincarnated as a piece of poop.", he answered.

They passed the bus stop and nobody said a word, only the loud grumbling of their stomachs could be heard. The passed Harvey's clinic and felt Jodi's and Caroline's gazes on them when they passed the women on their way to the Stardrop.  
"You know that we just produced tons of gossip, don't you?", Sebastian asked. When Charlotte shrugged in return, he was surprised that she really didn't seem to care about being seen go having dinner with him. Or was she simply acting the way she thought he would if he was in his own skin? Charlotte opened the door to the Stardrop, which had only a few customers inside. It was Thursday, after all. Emily was standing behind the counter and greeted them while drying a glass with a towel. Shane was sitting next to her, his head was leaning against his hand and he held a glass of beer in his other one. Charlotte sighed heavily when she saw him, which cause the man on the bar and Sebastian look up to her. She averted her gaze and pointed at a table where the two of them could sit.  
"I'm getting the pizza.", Sebastian said and went over to where Gus waited him. He felt Shane's gaze on him and looked over at him. He saw a small smile forming on his face and Sebastian was taken aback for a moment. The smile was small but it was definitely present. A weird feeling he couldn't name rose in his body and he looked to where Charlotte was sitting. She had remembered not to cross her legs while sitting. Good. When Shane followed Sebastian's gaze, his expression darkened. Sebastian decided to ignore it, or at least try to do so. When Gus returned with the hot pizza and Sebastian saw the molten cheese on top of it, his stomach growled even louder.  
"This is porn. Like for real. This is food porn.", Charlotte stated when she pulled out the first piece and stuffed it into her mouth. She grimaced and started waving air into her mouth hastily. "It's hot. Hot food porn.", she added. Sebastian smiled lightly.  
"Of course it is hot. And of course it is awesome, it's Cheese Pizza.", he replied.  
"I have no idea when the last time was I ate pizza. You know, it's not really included in my diet.", she said and Sebastian shook his head in disbelief.  
"You seem like suuch a fun person to be around.", he commented and she rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress a smile.  
"But now, I guess, I can eat what I want. There needs to be a possible side of it.", she said and watched Sebastian devouring his third piece. "You probably should eat a bit slower or you are going to be about to burst in any second.", she added. "I usually don't eat that much, you know?", she said but he shrugged.  
"Yeah, but I eat more. That means, I can eat now.", he answered.  
"No, that means that your stomach is much smaller right now and you can't fit everything you want in there.", Charlotte explained and watched Sebastian's face growing paler and paler. The short pause had been enough to make Sebastian's new body register how much had been stuffed into it. Charlotte laughed out loud. "Well, this means more for me. Whoa, I guess I have never eaten a pizza this big all by myself!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH MY GOD, I DID IT!  
> Finally, I found time to write and continue this story, now that my final exams are almost over :)  
> I really appreciate all the kudos and nice comments I got here and I really want to thank you!  
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, let me know what you thought of it! :)
> 
> PS: Check out my Tumblr: https://nymerianna99.tumblr.com


	6. A Sleepless Night

Charlotte opened the front door to Sebastian's home as quiet as possible and she even succeeded in passing Robin's counter without producing more noise than necessary. Sebastian and her had decided that it would be best if Charlotte slept in his room for the night so nobody, would need to worry about his wellbeing – Actually, they only thought of Robin not being able to stop bragging about how her firstborn who finally managed to find a girlfriend, if Charlotte had stayed the night in her own bed. And maybe they wanted to avoid the awkwardness they would need to face once they had to sleep together in one small room.  
It was when she had put a foot on the first step downstairs to Sebastian's room when the light started flickering on and she heard a calm voice behind her.  
"Sebby, honey, where have you been?", Robin asked her. Robin's hair wasn't in her bun as usual but fell over her shoulders lightly. She also wore a long fuzzy bathrobe and her feet were bare. She looked like she just woke up, which had probably been the case.   
"Oh mum, you don't always need to wait for me to come home.", Charlotte said and turned around hastily and tried to go downstairs when Robin came closer to her and touched her shoulder.  
"Sebby, both of us know that I'm not much of a heavy sleeper and both of us know just as well how I can't stop thinking about horrible things when one of my children doesn't come home. Well, today those things weren't horrible. Quite the opposite, to be honest. Do you want some coffee?", she asked and Charlotte wondered if this was something Sebastian and his mother did in the middle of the night when Demetrius and Maru were asleep. She smiled lightly. Drinking coffee between waking up and trying to fall asleep again. Charlotte nodded and followed the woman in the bathrobe into the kitchen.  
"So... you and Charlotte, hm?", Robin asked while filling up two cups. She had ignored Charlotte's request who didn't want to consume the caffeine right before going to bed. Robin had simply shrugged and pointed out how she always drank midnight coffees with her mother. She needed to ask Sebastian what else he and his mother did on a regular basis she wasn't aware of.   
"I wouldn't... necessarily say that. I mean, I brought her some tools over.", Charlotte tried to explain and Robin rolled her eyes.  
"Nothing to be embarrassed about. Well, I could imagine that it hasn't been easy to come closer to her. She doesn't seem like that type of girl.", Robin said while stirring her beverage. Charlotte perked up."That type? What do you mean?", she asked and felt her cheeks reddening when she noticed that she might have sounded a little bit too forcefully. Robin rose an eyebrow and laughed.  
"I don't mean it in an offensive way. More like a way that tells you that you're not the... well, you simply don't care what you look like and I had always thought she had a thing for Alex, you know?", Robin explained and Charlotte sighed. "When was the last time you had a shower, anyway? Since you started to dye your hair black again, it always looks kind of streaky.", she added and Charlotte blew a bang out of her eyes. Even Robin had noticed that Charlotte has had set her eyes on Alex and yet, there hadn't been one single chance the sportsman himself would have noticed. She had decided it wasn't anything but a crush like the ones she has had in school but she was annoyed that it had been this obvious.  
"Let's not talk about her.", Charlotte suggested and Robin shrugged.  
"She wasn't the reason why I wanted to talk to you, anyway.", Robin said and pointed at an envelope next to her cup of coffee, Charlotte hadn't noticed to this point. She didn't know how to react when Robin grabbed it and let it fall into the hands of her son. It wasn't opened, yet she felt something was about it when she let her fingers run over the letters. "When have you started writing your father?", Robin asked and Charlotte blinked.   
"Father?", she whispered and Robin let her fingers run through her hair.   
"Yes, Sebby. He sent you a letter from Zuzu. I mean, I have always been the one who told you to keep the contact up... But you were the one who didn't even care to send him cards for Christmas.", she stated and Charlotte felt something in her stomach turning. She didn't sign up for this, she didn't want to be included in this kind of drama and the worst on top of everything was the fact that she knew exactly that Sebastian didn't want her to witness any of this. She took a big gulp of coffee and looked at Robin. She needed to say something. Something to make Robin feel better because when she looked at the carpenter, she had noticed the big bags under her eyes which indicated not only sleepless hours but only some filled with at least small tears shed over her son's secret plans.

"I actually have no idea why he sent this. Don't worry.", Charlotte tried to reassure the woman in front of her. "I bet it's nothing personal but only something he wanted to tell me about the city. I guess, if it had been a secret thing, he would have sent me an e-mail or something.", she explained and Robin nodded slowly. Charlotte emptied her cup hastily and moved on her chair uncomfortably. "Really, mum. There's nothing to worry about. I'm going to bed now, I have to get up early, tomorrow.", Charlotte informed the carpenter who had started smiling lightly again.  
"Early? Like noon?", she asked and Charlotte smirked. She grabbed the letter fastly and turned around. What had she gotten herself into?  
When she entered Sebastian's room, Charlotte let herself fall onto the small sofa next to the door and sighed. She noticed shivers on her arms, the open window had cooled down the small basement room more than she had anticipated it. Charlotte let her hands run through the black bangs that hung into her face and she kicked off her shoes. She got up slowly and stretched like she usually would before going to bed but she noticed soon how hard it was for her. She decided to change as fastly as she could and simply sleep. Maybe she would even be able to sleep in a bit. She rubbed her eyes before opening Sebastian's closet where she tried to find something like pyjamas. There was no way she would be able to sleep topless in a room this cold. She grabbed a simple shirt and stripped off the hoodie she was wearing. She felt the cool air on her back and let her gaze fall at the mirror next to her that showed off a rather big, dark blue trail leading from a bit under her armpit to her back. She followed it with her eyes and acknowledged some geometric forms that were spread all over her upper back. They ended under her neck and she couldn't really sort what it was that Sebastian had tattooed on his back, but she decided that it looked beautiful in those blue and purple tones. She hadn't expected Sebastian to be tattooed, probably because she thought he was a rather quiet and maybe a bit fearful person. She let her fingers run over the trail but as soon as she felt the warmth of Sebastian's body under her fingers, she let go and grabbed the shirt she had placed on the cupboard next to her hastily and took it on. She fastly opened the buttons of her jeans. Charlotte closed her eyes while changing and made her way to the bathroom where she tried to comb the black hair on her head and brushed her teeth. So Sebastian also dyed his hair? Charlotte smirked while spitting out the rest of toothpaste that had gathered on her tongue. She wondered which hair colour he naturally had. When she looked at her lashes, she decided his hair colour was probably a lighter shade of brown. He must've dyed his eyebrows as well.

Sebastian had a hard time trying to fall asleep. He looked over to the alarm clock, which told him that he probably needed to wake up in four hours if he wanted to help Charlotte with her chores and finish the project he was recently working on. He turned around and yawned, yet there was still no way he would be able to sleep. There were simply too many thoughts rotating in his mind. What if there was no solution to this situation? What if the wizard would drink himself to death before he would have the chance to swap them back into their own bodies? The hair that fell into his face tickled annoyingly and he tried to brush it away but it would always come back. He wondered, how long it would take for his mum to acknowledge how weird her son was acting recently. Or if she even noticed. And if she did, if she even cared. Charlotte probably was a better child than he was, hell, he was an old loner creeping in his mother's basement and works for companies as a freelancer because he had never been able to step out of his comfort zone and go to college or something. He felt his fingers tickle and the thoughts of his head even accelerated. He wouldn't sleep this night, anyway.  
Sebastian got up slowly and reached for the jacket next to the front door of Charlotte's hut. It wasn't a thick one, but he wouldn't need more. He wanted to go to Gus' where a cigarette machine was waiting for him next to the front door. There wouldn't be another way to make his mind shut down for a second. He took on the jacket and opened the door. Reflexively, he closed the door as lightly as he could and let his hands crawl into the pockets of the jacket. It was when his fingers brushed something in his right pocket when he stopped for a second and looked down. He grabbed the small round object on his pocket and pulled it out. It looked like a coin, the moonlight reflected on it. Sebastian couldn't tell where the coin was coming from, there were big letters of it. He didn't even know if it was money from a foreign country or one of those tokens one got for vending machines. He let his fingers run over it and entered Charlotte's house again, slowly and backwards, not letting his gaze off the object in his hand. With his other hand, he switched on the light. With the flickering of the naked light bulb that hung from the ceiling, Sebastian let himself fall on the chair next to Charlotte's table. He usually wasn't a person to sniff around in other peoples' businesses, but he couldn't stop his eyes from reading whatever was written on the coin.

He didn't know, what he had expected when he turned around the coin with his fingers but he had never seen a token like this before. There was a big 13 written on it. It was surrounded by small dots and smaller letters. It took a while for Sebastian to figure out what exactly it said.  
"Zuzu Unity Service", he read out and turned it around once again. "Recovery is Priority" it said and Sebastian shoved the coin back into the pocket. He felt a sickness rising into his body, he had invaded Charlotte's privacy more than he had ever wanted to because he was too curious. He went over to Charlotte's bed, let himself fall onto it and pulled the blanket over his head. There was no way he wanted to know why Charlotte had a token like this. Well, he actually knew what this meant but he simply didn't want to save this information in his head. Because in exactly this moment he found out about a serious secret of Charlotte, he couldn't stop thinking about what else had happened in her life before she had moved to Pelican Town and it felt so wrong to do so. Because if he thought about her in that way, he had to acknowledge that might somebody else could wonder about him as well, which was a thought that wouldn't let him fall asleep, even if his life was dependent on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another month, another chapter, I guess?  
> I really try to post more frequently, now that my school-life is finally over and I can focus on the things that actually are fun.  
> Thank you for all your kind reviews and all those kudos! I really appreciate this.  
> I hope you liked this chapter, we finally get to know our characters better :)


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